Monthly Archives: February 2016

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Have a Dutch oven recipe you really love, but don’t feel like turning on the oven or stove? Get out your slow cooker! It takes a simple adjustment, but for most recipes these two pieces of cooking equipment can be used interchangeably.

If one was ever to question their lifetime of unwavering devotion to New York City, February would the month to do it. It’s cold and has been for some time. It’s cold and will be for some time. And somewhere out in California, a “friend” — but really, are they if they torture you so? — is welcoming their first strawberries. You get strawberries in New York, too, but for about 5 minutes every June and they cost about as much per square foot as real estate in a neighborhood with multiple pour-over coffee outlets.

So, yes, February is the month. But this February? I never thought it would be the one. This is, by every measurement known, the mildest winter we’ve ever had, and the shortest too. I am, by almost every measurement I can invent, the most loyal and content New Yorker you’ll meet (but not the shortest, although close). But every night for the last week, I’ve pestered my husband with talk of Los Angeles, a mythical place where it’s warm and sunny all year round, where the tacos are unparalleled, where the avocados are exceptional, where you apparently don’t need to be a millionaire to have a home with more than two bedrooms. This is probably what happens to even the most stalwart New Yorker after too long without a vacation.

Item: Chef’d Meal KitsPrice: Prices vary pretty widely, but most two-serving meals are around $30. Shipping is extra for orders under $40, but it’s free above that threshold.Overall impression: Interesting recipes with high-quality ingredients. Although Chef’d might be a little too expensive to have every day, that’s not really their aim. They don’t offer a subscription service, so hungry customers are encouraged to order whatever meal they want, whenever they want it.

The catalog of dinners is sourced, as the name suggests, from actual chefs. Apart from a few options geared toward children, there’s really nothing boring among the offerings! All of the meals I ordered came together in a reasonable amount of time, tasted wonderful, and were very filling.

We can think of few things better than walking through the door after a long day and knowing that a home-cooked meal awaits us. And since we don’t have our own personal live-in chefs, we’ll have to rely on our slow cookers to help us out.

These comforting recipes take just a little bit of prep work in the morning or the night before, and then rely on the slow cooker to do the heavy lifting. Your future self will thank you.

In our office, we get really excited about things like yum emojis and blender butter, but we’re also normal people with lives outside of food. So this weekend, we’re going to make ourselves some popcorn, open a bottle of rosé, and find out who will be taking home an Oscar.

This week we’ve been having a full-on vegan snack attack! It turns out that vegan snacking is pretty simple, and also extremely delicious. Admittedly, when I was put on the case to make a queso dip devoid of cheese, I was a bit skeptical. But not only did I surprise myself with how amazingly delicious it is, I also managed to sneak in a bunch of nutritious vegetables to the recipe. In fact, most of these snacks, although they might sound decadent, have a secret hidden healthy component. So if you’re planning on going on a snack binge, these recipes might be your friend.

The borough depicted in Brooklyn, one of this year’s Oscar contenders for Best Picture, is a nostalgic, blue-collar departure from today’s posh condos flaunting shiny granite kitchens. While 21st-century Brooklyn remains proudly anchored to its deep ethnic roots, it is no longer defined by middle-class families savoring carefree afternoons on brownstone stoops or parish dances (leading, many immigrant women hoped, to a potential suitor). And food is one powerful way of chronicling Brooklyn’s transformation.

Why do we crave food to bless a union, lavish a birth, or bury the dead? Why toast the future and savor the past? Why do we use bread and bones and salt and wine to tell the stories of ourselves and our people that cannot possibly be told in any other way? Because we like to give meaning to our food, and food to our meaning. Ask any anthropologist — humans like ritual.

In theory, packing a lunch sounds like a simple thing. But it’s always those simple things that turn out to be the toughest to tackle. Even with the best of intentions and best-laid plans, packing a lunch can be a tall order. But these smart tips will make it a little easier for you.

I love how the concept of a sandwich is simple yet freeing. Yes, there’s usually bread involved, but the fillings are entirely up to you. There’s nothing wrong with the classics, but how about a few new ones to try out for lunch next week?